The Fifth Clan
by EchosOfTheNight
Summary: A young loner tom strays from his mother's nest, and finds the lake of the clans. Fascinated, he asks to join each of the clans, but is turned down by each one. Despite being rejected, he is determined to have a clan as his home and creates one of his own, but will a clan of roughs, loners, and kittypets be accepted by the original clans so easily? [Rated K for some violence]
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

**Thunderclan**

**Leader ** Brightstar- Old tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

**Deputy** Doveice- Silver she-cat with icy blue eyes

**Medicine Cat** Fallenbranch- Dark brown tom, distant. Apprentice, Mintpaw

**Warriors** Darkspots- Brown tom with black flecks and muzzle, amber eyes

Vinestripe- Tabby tom with deep green eyes

Blackpelt- black tom with amber eyes

Icewhisker- white she with gray paws and green eyes

Firefall- ginger tom

Palmwhisker- light gray she-cat. Apprentice, Duskpaw

Mistynose- white and gray she-cat with milky blue eyes

Bearclaw- Fierce tortoiseshell tom

Robinsong- light brown she with patches of ginger

Lightningscar- Dark gray tabby tom

**Apprentices** Mintpaw- light she with a yellowish tinge

Duskpaw- calico tom

**Queens ** Yarrowfur- gray she with green eyes, mother of Riverkit and Bluekit

**Elders** Grasslegs- long legged she with amber eyes

Stonewatcher- very frail gray tom

**Shadowclan**

**Leader** Slatestar- mottled gray tom with dark eyes

**Deputy** Lostfire- Scarred tortoiseshell she, half blinded

**Medicine cat** Cloudheart- fluffy white she with blue eyes

**Warriors** Rainfall- calico with black underbelly and paws, bright green eyes

Greenleaf- dark brown tabby she with a white muzzle

Whitefoot- dark gray tabby tom with white paws and yellow eyes

Pebblefall- Dark brown and gray tabby she with yellow eyes

Breezefrost- black tom with a hint of blue. Apprentice, Mudpaw

Tinywillow- small yellowy she with hazel eyes

Pinecreek- pale golden tom with yellow eyes

Hawktalon- Pale tom with blank stripes, milky eyes

Badgerpelt- white tom with blank back, light green eyes

Squirrelmask- Creamy she with brown face and paws, blue eyes

Bouncespring- Black tom with white muzzle, legs, and belly

Sunfur- Beautiful golden she with white belly and chest, blue eyes

**Apprentices ** Mudpaw- usually dirty brown tom

**Queens ** Frostshine- Pure white she with blue eyes, sister to Cloudheart

Darkmoon- Dark gray she with lighter gray belly and muzzle, mother of Hawkkit and Rosekit

**Elders** Fuzzburr- Brown tom with black flecks and a white belly, green eyes

Largenose- Tabby she with white underbelly and a large nose

Shawdowclaw- large black tom

**Riverclan**

**Leader** Mothstar- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy ** Blossomleaf- tan tabby she with white paws and green eyes

**Medicine Cat **Mallowheart **Apprentice, **Duskpaw

**Warriors ** Nightsnow- Dark tom with icy blue eyes

Flamefoot- deep ginger tom

Watergaze- Fluffy gray she with a white chest and brilliant blue eyes

Streamsong- blueish gray she with ocean-blue eyes

Glowheart- golden tom with bright yellow eyes

Twigthorn- brown tom with spiky fur and hazel eyes

Dewleap- gray she with green eyes

Cherrybee- Red she with amber eyes

Swiftpuddle- she with marked pelt as if there were ripples in a pond

Sparkfire- ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Berrypool- lilac-point she with milky blue eyes

**Queens** Leafshadow- mottled black and brown she; mother of Gingerkit, Adderkit and Tanglekit

Ebonywish- black she-cat; mother to minnowkit and carpkit

**Windclan**

**Leader ** Stormstar- fluffy gray-black tom

**Deputy ** Dawnsky- tortoiseshell she with deep amber eyes. Apprentice, Bramblepaw

**Medicine Cat **Heronwing

**Warriors ** Lynxfur- large tan she with yellow eyes. Apprentice, Lichenpaw

Furzepelt- white she with black head and brown back

Brightshadow- black tom with white underside. Apprentice, Milkpaw

Spottedbee- pale flecked she-cat with green eyes

Diversefur- colorful tom with green eyes. Apprentice, Lightpaw

Leopardspots- spotted she-cat with yellow eyes

Speckletuft- mangy tortoiseshell with very deep amber eyes

Mountainleap- egocentric brown she-cat with hazel eyes

Cinderfur- jet black she-cat with bright green-yellow eyes

Leafstorm- golden tabby with a white muzzle

**Apprentices **Lightpaw- tan and white she-cat

Bramblepaw- dark tabby tom

Milkpaw- white she-cat with silver eyes

Lichenpaw- brown tabby tom

Fishpaw- white she with light gray flecks

**Queens** Eagletail- mottled gray she; mother of Graykit

Rainflower- tall blue-gray she-cat

Smudgedear- white she-cat with blank ears and tail-tip; mother of Skykit, Dapplekit, Lionkit, and Fernkit

**Elders **Petalstep- once pretty gray she-cat

Dustcreek- cranky old tabby tom

**Cats outside of Clans **

Thorn- large brown tabby tom-kit with green eyes

Claw- twin to Thorn

Tiger- ginger tabby with black stripes- just the pelt of a tiger

Rose- Light brown she-kit

Thunder- Dark brown tom

Ash- Dark gray she-cat

Echo- White she-cat

Berry- Perky light colored she

Coco- Dark brown she-cat

Panther- Black tom

Sophie- small silver she-cat

Fox- Ginger tom

Blue- Bluish gray she

Raven- Black she with deep blue eyes

Shade- Gray tom with hazel eyes

Lion- Golden tom

Lemon- yellowy she-cat

Jagged- light brown she-cat with black markings

Sprinkles- white she flecked with shades of gray

Tommy- Black tom

Goat- Light gray tom with bright blue eyes

Pinky- Hairless she-cat with yellow eyes

**AN: I have finally started my second story! Can I get a woot woot? Anyway, you may have already heard of this story coming out if you've read my previous story "Born Into Stars", where I got many OC's sent in from readers. I used most all of the characters, and I deeply apologize if I messed anything up with the OC's. It's time to embark on a new journey much after The Last Hope and Bramblestar's storm, so join Thorn on his wild adventures as he makes clan life for roughs possible! **

**~Lissa :) **


	2. Prolouge

**Prologue**

Many seasons after the great journey…

Many seasons after the Great battle…

Many seasons after the great storm…

Comes another great tragedy.

…

_Things will never be the same; a new destiny will arrive to the clans. _

Mintpaw, Thunderclan's medicine cat apprentice, awoke from her blurred dream to the prodding of her mentor, Fallenbranch. "Get up, you lazy slug," He grunted, not pleased with his apprentice's late sleeping, "You need to sort the herbs. _Somebody _left the marigold with the juniper berries."

"How do you know it wasn't you," mumbled Mintpaw, as she met gaze with her mentor crossly. The short-tempered tom let out a hiss. "Don't talk back, and respect you mentor," he snarled lightly, "Must I tell you twice to sort the herbs?"

Mintpaw shook her head with annoyance, and began to sort out the mixed herbs, suddenly thinking about the dream.

_Oh no, the dream! What could it mean?_

"Fallenbranch, I need to tell you something," She meowed, keeping her voice as steady as she could. It took a few heartbeats, but he eventually switched his attention from herbs to his apprentice, his eyes only opened halfway. "What is it?" He asked curtly, as if he were hoping to get back to working as soon as possible.

"I had a dream, and I think it's important," Mintpaw meowed, kicking a paw around nervously, "In it was a prophecy."

This caught the old medicine cat's attention. "_What? _Shouldn't you have told me sooner?" He let out a disapproving sigh, "What was it about?"

Mintpaw gained her memory again, and answered best and clearly as she could, "There was a gathering, I can't remember what everyone was discussing, but they all seemed upset about it," She paused, looking at her mentor to see is he was processing her words, and continued "They were about to make some kind of decision, but then from all around the island cats exploded from the shadows, hissing and snarling. Everything faded to black, and I heard these words..."

There was a silence, and Fallenbranch nodded his head. "What did you hear?" He asked, leaning forward, awaiting an answer. Mintpaw shook her head gently, regaining her thoughts. "A voice said that things will never be the same, and that a new destiny will arrive to the clans." She finished, looking to Fallenbranch with confusion. She noticed the medicine cat looked equally confused, and she let out a moan.

"You don't understand it either, do you?" She meowed almost angry, and Fallenbranch shook his head.

"In my time, there were no prophecies to be answered… until now, that is." He mewed solemnly, "I'm afraid I can't help. But we need to try to understand what it means. Let me know if you have any others dreams."

Mintpaw nodded, trying to ignore the ringing in her ears, yet the prophecy kept playing itself over and over.

_Things will never be the same, a new destiny will arrive to the clans._

**AN: The story has started! I will do my best to make this story more serious than my first, but I can't promise anything… I'm only 12! Now, I'd like to finish off with review answering: **

**JaggedWing: I'll let you know if I **_**do **_**end up needing any assistance with Jagged. I will also try to make her one of my main characters too!**

**Potatotheumbreon: Sorry, but OC's are closed until my next story comes around!**

**Shadow765: Thanks! I will most likely update every week or so, and there shouldn't be many long waits. **

**Goodbye then :3**

**~Lissa**


	3. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello, hello! It is finally time to publish the first actual chapter of The Fifth Clan. Enjoy :3**

Thorn awoke to the milky light of dawn, the rising sun shining its rays of warmth and sunlight into the small fern den where he and his family stayed during the cool nights of Leaf-fall. He suppressed a yawn and blinked open his sleep-clogged eyes, shaking his head lightly to clear his vision. He stared around, taking glimpses at everyone in the den. His twin brother, Claw, lay twitching is his nest, grumbling and growling as if to scare away the morning, but his father, Thunder, was already gone.

_Thunder is so great, he can wake up before anyone else does, and bring back loads of prey before the sun has fully risen, _Thought Thorn with admiration for his father, _I hope to be just like him someday. _

He continued to look around, and saw Tiger-his mother- and Rose- his 2 moon old sister- silently resting in their shared nest. Their backs moving up and down was really the only telling that they were still living. Thorn eventually got up and stretched himself forward, clawing at the ground as far out as he could reach. He padded up to his brother and gave him a sharp nudge, causing Claw to groan as he opened his eyes with annoyance.

"_What?!" _Claw demanded in a harsh whisper, "I'm trying to sleep."

Thorn gave his eyes a roll, and gave Claw another jab to get him up. "We are 7 moons already, surely we need to hunt if we're to stay here with Mother and Rose," He mewed, indignant, "So… get _up _already."

Claw arose with another moan, and stretched himself as well. "I guess we can see what Berry is up to, then" He suggested, "Maybe she could hunt with us."

_Berry, she used to play with us every day when we were kits, a pretty she-cat, but even at 8 moons she doesn't seem as if she matured a bit. _

"Fine, let's just go."

The pair stalked out of the den silently, with the effort of not waking the females of thegroup. Thorn raised his muzzle to try and sniff out his father, but the scent trail was already stale. Before he and Claw could fully exit the den, Claw called out; "Berry!" and rushed to her side.

Berry was sitting with her parents, Coco and Panther. When she noticed Claw, she broke out in a long purr. "Claw, Thorn! Are you here to play?"

"Sure we are!" Claw meowed back cheerfully, but Thorn shook his head. "_No, _Claw, sorry Berry, we are actually out to hunt."

Claw gave an angry glance, but nodded. Berry looked disappointed, "Oh, that's okay," Then she brightened, "Maybe I can come with?"

Thorn was tempted to turn her down, he knew is she came along she would probably talk non-stop, but for Claw's sake he agreed. "Just don't make too much noise, okay Berry?"

The light-pelted she nodded, "Of course!" and she got into a messy hunters crouch and darted around between the trees, letting out grunts of amusement. Thorn watched in disgust, _she needs to grow up, _he thought to himself, _Claw too, but I know that I will be big, strong, and powerful, unlike those two. _They started to head out into the forest, the grounds where the roughs and loners of the area hunted. As they went, he overheard the other two murmuring happily back and forth to each other. _Typical, _thought Thorn, frowning.

He halted as he heard a gentle rustling, and he waved his tail to stop Berry and Claw as well. He parted his jaws to scent the air, but sighed as he realized it was just the wind. "False alarm," he meowed, somewhat flustered. They were about to continue when he heard another rustle, along with a squeak. He looked up and saw a squirrel, nibbling at a nut on the second-lowest branch on the tree overhead.

"It's mine," Thorn said under his breath, and to his surprise his brother and friend sat down, perfectly still and silent, not so much as even whisper to each other. Thorn gave a grateful dip of his head and stepped up to the tree. He gulped nervously, and leapt, digging his claws into the bark. He looked up to see if the squirrel had run, but it stayed there, undaunted.

He stretched a paw forward, and hauled himself higher. When he had almost reached the first branch, he felt the tree shake, and looked down to see and dark gray she-cat, not much older than he was, run up the tree quicker than he thought possible. The she cat leapt onto the branch of the squirrel, sank her teeth into its neck, and leap down gracefully.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Berry, "That was amazing!"

The she-cat simply nodded, and Thorn leapt down. "Well, _I _am the one who found the squirrel, so if you would please-"

The gray she let out a disoriented growl, and held her catch protectively. Thorn sighed, seeing that she was extra skinny, besides, they had Thunder who hunted for them every day. "Fine," He meowed, "You can keep it. What's your name, anyway?"

The she ran off, leaving the group to stare after her. "I guess she just didn't like you back!" sniggered Claw, his eyes glittering with amusement. Thorn felt himself growing warm, "I did not- just _no_, Claw, _no._"

"Ha! Whatever you say!" He purred, and both he and Berry laughed. _I don't understand _what _is going on in their heads, I was just being friendly!_

"Shut up." Thorn growled, "You guys are acting like idiots."

"Okay, okay," Chuckled Claw, "I guess we should-"

"Should what?" Thorn queried, and he stopped as he realized both Claw and Berry were staring behind him. He turned and saw the dark gray she again, she was holding a bent leaf, probably filled with something. "What are you doing here again?" Thorn questioned, but the she-cat gave him a friendly look, and dropped the leaf she was carrying.

"Ashes," He heard Claw murmur. The gray she nodded, and raised a paw to herself. Thorn widened his eyes in realization. "Your name is Ash, isn't it?" He meowed, resting his gaze on her, "There must be something wrong with your voice."

Ash nodded sadly, and stroked her neck with a paw. She smiled gently and padded off, her thin tail swishing in an odd pattern. _That must be her way of saying goodbye, _Thorn thought, amazed. "Now let's get hunting!" Berry mewed joyfully.

…

And they did just that, though it was only Thorn who actually caught anything. He held a vole, and Berry brought back a shrew, but Claw decided he was too important to waste his energy on the hunt, which didn't seem to bother Berry at all, but Thorn was about to claw his brothers face off right then and there.

When they got back to the dens, Claw and Berry scurried off together, leaving Thorn to bring the prey back to the den. _If he wants to be a lazy butt with Berry as his mate, he can, but I will be productive, I swear of it._

He scooped up the shrew Berry had been carrying, and padded to the den. He saw Tiger grooming Rose just outside, the little she's fur sticking out where it had been licked, and mud covering the un-groomed parts of her fur. Thorn couldn't help but watch in amusement as he reached the two. "What happened?" He asked, his voice muffled by the prey he carried.

Tiger stopped and looked up, her eyes sparkling with annoyance. "Troublemaker here ran into a mud puddle, trying to take a _bath_," She meowed, irritated. Rose gave her paws an embarrassed shuffle, and retorted, "I thought it was water reflecting a tree!"

"Yeah, I bet you did," Their mother grumbled, "I'm absolutely _sure_ you didn't notice the consistency of this _water_."

"I didn't!"

Thorn suppressed a _mrrow _of amusement, remembering when he and Claw were still little kits._ I'm much older now, but sometimes I'm not as sure about Claw. _

He dropped off the prey, disappointed that his father wasn't back yet, and padded back out to take a rest. He sprawled himself out across the sun-warmed ground and shut his eyes, ready for a small nap. Surely after catching so much prey he could have a rest. With the sun beaming down onto his back, he shut his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

…

_Thorn opened his eyes into an unknown ground, and he looked around wildly trying to interpret where exactly he was. "Did someone take me when I was asleep?" He wondered aloud, "I've never seen this place before!"_

_He stiffened as he saw a yellowy she cat walk up to him, her gaze full of confusion. "Why did Starclan lead me to you?" She asked, scanning Thorn with her bright eyes. Thorn shrugged, having not one clue what she was talking about. "What's Starclan? Who are you? Where am I?" The questions seemed to fly from his mouth, and the she broke into a half-hearted purr. _

"_You're a funny one, aren't you? Just tell me who you are." _

"_My name is Thorn- but I don't who what you're talking about!" He stammered, his ears pinned back to his head. She looked even more confused than before. "_Thorn_? But that's not a clan name!" _

"_Clan?" Thorn echoed, "Who are you and what do you want with me!?"_

"_I'm Mintpaw, of Thunderclan," She mewed, "A medicine cat apprentice, but the real question is: Why was I brought to you?" _

_Thorn shrugged again. "I'm not sure, but please tell me where I am!"_

_Mintpaw chuckled, "Dreaming," She answered, "And all I have to tell you is that you are important. You may not know it yet, but something about you will be life-changing, no doubt about that." _

_And with that she disappeared. _

**Finished! How was it? Anyway, it's time to finish with more review answering, so here it is!**

**Jaggedwing: Well, not a main main character, just one that is mentioned a lot, you know?**

**Potatotheumbreon: Sorry, haha**

**Moonbeam141: Thank you! I hope you like the story **

**Skittlinq: Thanks! And yes, I really am 12. Why? Do I seem younger? Older?**

**Anyway, just to let you know I may not be able to update next weekend, I'll be gone, so just keep that in mind. That would be all for now, then, I guess. **

**Bye c:**

**~Lissa**


	4. Chapter 2

**AN: Guess whaaaaaat? Go wish a happy birthday to me, because I have turned 13. Yay 'U'**

**So a new chapter is here too! **

_Thorn stood in the sparkling land anxiously. "Hello?" He called out to nobody in particular, "Hello? Where am I?"_

_ He took a few deep breaths, he knew acting hysterical over nothing wasn't something a mature cat would do, and he would need to calm down. "That Mint-whatever cat told me I was dreaming," he mused to himself, "so I guess I'd better just wake up, then."_

And he did. After he blinked a few times, he was waking up back in the patch of grass he had settled in only moments earlier. Thorn's eyes flickered, and he noticed that Thunder had returned, due to the pile of new catches that lay just outside the fern den. _Maybe I can talk to Thunder, I bet he will train me!_

Thorn poked his head inside the den, and saw his father's back turned on him, for he was sharing tongues with his mate. The young tom stepped into the den, and meowed enthusiastically; "Hi, Thunder!"

Thunder's attention moved from his mate to his son, and he let out a deep, rumbling purr. "How are ya' Thorn, I heard you went hunting today didn't cha?"

Thorn beamed, glad that his father acknowledged his work. "Yes, I did," he responded, trying to sound casual, "And so did you!"

"Ha! Indeed youngster," Thunder turned onto his side, "I do every day, don't I?"

"Yes," said Thorn, "and you do a great job with it."

Thunder broke into another quick laugh, and Thorn joined in hesitantly. Tiger cleaned her throat with slight annoyance. "Is there anything you need, Thorn?" she asked, "I was having a rather important conversation"

"Yes, yes," Thunder mumbled in a deep voice. Thorn looked at his father, and shrugged. "I guess I wanted to ask you if you could train me, so… do you think you could?"

Thunder chuckled, and a jubilant grin spread across his face. "Of course, young'un," he rumbled, "How's tomorrow?"

Thorn instantly spread with joy. "It's a deal!" He squeaked exuberantly, giving a little bounce. Thunder chuckled again. "Okay, but your mother and I were talking, so I think it's best if you let us be."

Tiger nodded sternly, so Thorn did too. "Okay, I'll see you later then." He turned tail and headed out, his ears twitching.

He was welcomed outside by the bright light of sunset, and he narrowed his eyes to see past the bright light. A slender cat figure stood out against the rays, and Thorn instantly thought it was Claw returning from play, most likely with Berry behind him.

As the cat grew closer, he realized it was a different cat. A dark gray pelt was illuminated by the remaining gleams of sun, and instantly Thorn knew who it was. Ash pranced on her lean body, her whiskers twitching happily. Thorn grinned with excitement, for he liked Ash. She was something special, not in a romantic way at all, but in a cool, unique sort of way.

"Hi, Ash!" Thorn yelled out, and the she-cat waved her skinny tail in greeting. When Ash grew to be a few foxlengths away, she stopped and tossed her head joyfully. Thorn noticed her gray fur was wispy and ruffled from running, and somehow it made her look lively, almost playful, and what could just _one_ game do to make one any less productive?

"Want to play a game?" He asked, and almost as if on cue Ash nodded instantly. "Okay, great," Thorn continued, "How's a game of wrestling?"

Ash nodded again, this time a bit slower but while still being enthusiastic, and she dropped into a crouch, baring her teeth in a snarl. Thorn did the same, letting out mock hisses every so often, and they circled around each other slowly. Ash stopped for a split-second and leapt over to Thorn, where she landed hard on his back, making him lose his balance and topple over, surprise flooding through him instantly.

"That was good, for a she-cat," He huffed defensively, "But there's no way you can beat me!"

Ash growled playfully again, and sank her claws lightly into the young tom's flank. Thorn jumped back and rammed headfirst into Ash, who stumbled a bit but didn't fall over. _Impressive, _Thorn thought with amusement, _she's almost better thank me!_

Thorn was startled from his thoughts by Ash drawing a forceful blow on his head. For a few heartbeats everything was a blur, until he saw Ash coming at him again. He braced himself, knowing he had already lost, as she pinned him to the ground. Ash raised a claw, ready to give the pretend final blow, when Thorn noticed a mistake in her stance. Just before the gray she-cat brought her claws to his neck, he kicked his back paw on Ash's, and she yelped with dismay.

Thorn jumped back up and pounced on Ash as she was trying to regain her balance, and she fell over easily. He pinned her down- making sure he had a correct stance- and brushed his claws against her neck. "I win!"

Ash stood up and let out a frustrated grumble while Thorn brushed dust of his hide. "You are really good at this," He commented, "If I were blind, I would've thought I was attacking a big, muscular tom!"

Ash looked amused, and she gave a grateful dip of her head. Night had fully fallen at that point, and there was no light except the gentle beams of the crescent moon. Thorn's belly began to growl with hunger, and he also realized he was starting to feel drowsy. Ash must have felt the same, for she gave a hinting yawn and waved her paw up and down sheepishly.

"Goodnight, then, I guess." Said Thorn, and he watched Ash turn and stalk off, her dark fur quickly blending in with the darkness around. Thorn yawned again and headed to his own den, which lay only a treelength from where he was already standing. He suddenly wondered more about Ash, where she lived and who she lived with. Did she have a home, or a family?

He shook the thoughts away and trotted into the den, where his family was already laying. Claw and Rose were sleeping, Thunder looked as if he were trying to sleep, and Tiger was giving soft nuzzles to her little kit. Thorn's mother noticed him, and patted her paw on the ground, beckoning him over. He settled into his nest and shut his eyes, feeling a few strokes of his mother's tongue against him, and he let himself be lulled into sleep, excited to be trained the following day.

…

Thorn woke up to milky dawn rays shining their way in through the ferns, and he looked around suspiciously to make sure he wasn't in any sort of strange dreamland, as he was before. He let out a grunt of relief when he was sure he wasn't still asleep, and jumped up onto his paws. Again, Thunder had already left his den, but Thorn was glad that he could still smell his father's scent nearby, so he could still train.

He looked over to Claw, wondering whether or not he should wake his lazy brother up to train too. Thorn quickly decided it was best to leave Claw alone, it would be a better opportunity to train alone anyway. He trotted up to the exit of the den, and left nonchalantly, padding up to his stretching father enthusiastically.

"Hi, Thunder, ready to train?"

Thunder looked up and let out a deep, rumbling purr. "Your sounding as if you're the one training me, young'un!"

"Sorry," Said Thorn, "But I really am looking forward to learning!"

Thunder purred again. "Am I too, training you, I mean," He replied, grinning. Thorn nodded his eyes bright. "So where are we going?" He asked.

Thunder's ears twitched. "Depends, are we hunting or fighting first?"

Thorn thought about it for a moment, and replied; "Fighting," _so I'll have the most energy for the important stuff_.

Thunder shrugged, "Sounds good to me," He rumbled, "Now, come on." And he began to pad off toward the direction of the sun's rising. Thorn had to squint to see past the blinding light, and he pelted off after the large tom. As they walked, Thorn began to feel lots of excitement bubbling up inside of him. Finally, after 7 moons he was finally able to be trained properly!

Thorn was still thinking of how good he could become, when he saw Thunder come to a halt in front of him. He came to a sharp stop to keep himself from crashing into his father, and stood tall on his paws. "Okay, I'm ready," He announced, "What's first?"

"We can work on your clawing technique," Thunder suggested, and Thorn nodded eagerly in reply, unsheathing his sharp claws readily.

"Now you see this tree?" Thunder continued, "Claw it as if it's an enemy cat, and I'll watch."

Thorn obeyed, darting up to the tree and swiping his claws diagonally down its splintering bark. He looked to Thunder questioningly, and his father gave a nod of approval. "That was good," He meowed, "But try to aim more for the center, on a cat that would've resulted with your claws hanging in midair, and you would probably trip."

"Right, sorry," Thorn said, "I'll try again."

The young loner tom positioned himself at the base of the tree once more, and struck his claws out, this time his paws falling straight down the center of the trunk. He leapt back gracefully and turned to his father, awaiting a reply.

Thunder nodded again, "That was nearly perfect, youngster, but you still need a bit more practice. Let's keep trying."

"Okay."  
><strong>…<strong>

By the time Thunder had told his son that he had fully mastered the clawing technique, Thorn was barely energized enough to even manage a "Thank you." The larger tom let Thorn off on hunting, so that he could get back and rest.

"Will you train me tomorrow?" Thorn asked, hopefully. Thunder shrugged his shoulders. "If you feel alright, then sure," He answered, "But I don't want you working yourself up more if you're already worked to pieces."

"Right, okay," Thorn mewed, "I guess I'll get back home then."

"I'll be hunting," said Thunder, before he started to look for prey scents in the air. Thorn gave a nod of farewell, and began to head back home. It was merely past sunhigh, but the training felt like forever. He hoped it would get easier and more fun, because if each session ended up like this, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to do it every day.

Thorn was just tree-lengths away from camp, when he heard an antagonized yowl from the familiar voice of his mother. Instantly nervous, Thorn sprinted as fast as he could to the den. He found Tiger lying, wailing out muffled words, her sobs filling the entire clearing. Thorn gave her a gentle nudge. "What's the matter?" He asked, trying to sound soothing, though he could hear his own voice quivering. Tiger looked up, and let out another cry of grief.

"They took them!" She wept, burying her face in her paws. Thorn started to notice the clear signs of battle over her; claw marks and bites covering her whole exterior. "What happened?" He asked again, "Who took who?"

Tiger looked up again. "Oh Thorn, your my last baby," She wailed, "Claw and Rose were taken!"

**AN: What do you think? Sort of cliffhangery? Anyway to answer reviews…**

**JaggedWing: You don't know how much I love to hear that **

**BirdFlame: I'll try to update each weekend, if I can**

**Skittlinq: Ty ;) Maybe you have some stories I could read… I love giving advice :D **

**Bye, bye**

**~Lissa**


	5. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi again. It's time I write the newest chapter, and I'll try to make this one a long one, for everyone's enjoyment. I am now going to try to fit at **_**least **_**2000 words into each chapter now.  
>I hope you will enjoy the more lengthy chapters <strong>

**Anyway, here it is!**

Thorn let out a startled gasp. "What do you mean taken?" He asked, astonished, "By who?"

Tiger shook her head slowly. Thorn looked closely at the bites and scratches on his mother's back, and with horror, he realized they looked as if they were from a fox's doing. "Oh no," He murmured, "Did- did foxes take them?"

Tiger nodded and let out another wail of grief. Thorn didn't know what to do, could Claw and Rose still be alive? He hoped so desperately that they were, but who knows, with a fox? Thorn tried to look certain of himself. "I'll get Thunder, we can help them, I'm sure of it!"

Tiger got onto her paws and gave a dip of her head, as if to say 'I'm coming too,' Thorn tried to keep a serious expression plastered over his face though he could feel himself quivering at the thought of a fox stealing him, rather than Claw or Rose. "Then let's find Thunder."

"Find me why?" A familiar voice rumbled. Thunder was standing with a load of prey dropped at his feet. He gave them both questioning looks, and both stood clueless on how to explain it to the big tom. "Well," Thorn started off rather awkwardly, "Foxes came here when we both were gone… they took Claw and Rose."

Thunder gaped at them cynically. "Are you trying to make a joke to frighten me?" He asked suspiciously, "or are you actually serious?"

"We are really serious," Tiger sighed, as she exposed her battle-battered back, making Thunder stare at them once more. Thunder cleared his throat and let he let his neck-furs bristle; while he unsheathed his long, doglike claws and growled. "I can't believe the foxes would dare mess with me!"

"We must get Claw and Rose back," Thorn agreed, with more courage than he thought he had. All three of them nodded, but Tiger's face was the least certain of all, while she unsheathed her claws as well. Before Thunder could race away, Thorn called out, "Wait!" and nodded his head to Berry's family, Panther, Berry, and Coco, "We can ask for their help too!"

Thunder grinned at his son, "That's smart of you, we were about to leave, who knows what would've happened if we went alone!"

Thorn grinned back, and they pelted to Berry's den, where her parents looked at them curiously. "What do you want?" Panther grumbled rudely, but Coco looked at them with worry. "I'm sorry about him," she mewed, "Is there something wrong?"

Thunder and Tiger both dipped their heads. "I'm afraid Claw and Thorn have been taken by foxes," Thunder meowed solemnly "We want you help to get them back, if you'd be so kind as to-"

"Go do it yourself," Panther interrupted angrily "It's not our fault you were careless enough to let your kits be stolen". Coco whacked her mate with a paw forcefully. "What he meant was that we _can_ help," She mewed with annoyance. Panther let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, I guess you would do the same for Berry, if it came down to that."

"Thank you," Tiger said anxiously, "But there's not so much time, we need to go!"

Coco stepped up to Tiger, and gave some sort of reassurance, but Tiger just looked apprehensive. "We have to go _now_," She repeated herself coldly, and this time Panther got up as well. "What about me?" Another voice squeaked, revealing the presence of Berry. The young she-cat looked upset, as if she thought she was being neglected by her parents. Coco lapped her daughter between the ears. "Sure you can come, just be careful."

Berry beamed and unsheathed her short, pointy claws. "Let's go defeat some foxes!" She mewed, and Thorn was surprised at how she sounded so determined, rather than playful. He hoped she would be able to pull it together for something as important as this, and he figured for Claw's sake, that she would. _Those two will become mates one day; _he thought with amusement, _I'm almost certain of it._

Thunder took the lead, beckoning with her tail for the other to follow. His muzzle was raised in the air, making out the foxes scent trail, and Thorn did the same, for some extra practice. The leading tom stopped for a moment, drew in some air, and raced off. "He has a trail!" Coco exclaimed as the other following cats broke into a sprint to follow him. They ran quickly, and the father they got, the more apparent the scent of foxes grew, and Thorn was able to make out their exact location at one point.

Thunder halted, and the rest of the group skidded to stop behind him. He raised his muzzle again, his ears flattened, and took in another gasp of air. "Oh no," He shuddered, "There… are two of them."

"Two?!" echoed everyone except Tiger, who seemed to already know about this. Thunder nodded, and took in more scents. "With three cubs," he commented nervously. Tiger looked as if she were about to faint, and started to continuously say 'my babies' and 'oh, my poor lost babies!' but Thorn knew that wasn't going to save anyone, and Thunder did too.

"Stop moaning," Thunder ordered his mate, "We need to get a grip! Maybe we can find some more reinforcements around here somewhere,"

Thorn nodded. "We should split up," He suggested, proud that every cat was actually listening to him, despite his young age, "Then maybe we will find some other cats around here who are willing to help."

Thunder gave him a nod of agreement. "And with the foxes being so close to them, I bet most would jump at the chance to scare them off."

"Then let's just go already," Panther mumbled, "Or do you want these kits to be eaten before we even leave?"

Tiger let out a shriek at the mention of her kits possibly being eaten, and Coco tried to reassure her again. "Here's how it's going to work." Coco announced, "I will take Tiger around to look for cats, Berry and Panther can go together, and Thunder and Thorn will be the last pair."

Everyone mumbled their agreement, and split into the three directions leading away from the foxes' den. Their goal was to bring back one or two cats each, so that they would have enough to fight the foxes. Thunder and Thorn sniffed the air and pricked their ears for any signs of another cat, but none came to them.

They walked and continued to try and find someone, when Thorn thought he saw the tail of a cat in the nearby brambles. "I think I saw a cat," Thorn mewed to Thunder, flicked his tail at the bramble bush. He knew it could have been just a blowing twig, for its color was brown, but he felt almost certain it was alive and furry.

The two padded up to the bramble bush, and Thunder called out; "Is anybody there?"

A light brown head popped out of the bush. Thorn noticed that it was a she-cat, almost fully grown, her dangerous green eyes sparkling. "I didn't expect any visitors," She mewed, blinking, "Is there something you toms want from me?"

Thunder nodded slowly. "We need help saving our kits from the foxes."

The she-cat's mischievous eyes glittered, "You two had kits together?"

Thorn growled. "Of course we didn't, you must be a mousebrain to even suggest that! He's my _father_; and the kits we want to save are my _littermates_."

The she-cat purred, "I was only teasing. Anyway, my name is Jagged, and I'd be glad to help you."

Thunder dipped his head to her gratefully. "We will try our hardest to drive the foxes out."

Thorn didn't feel the need to be polite. He knew with each minute going by, it was more likely that the foxes were feeding Claw and Rose to their cubs. He let out a fake cough, and Jagged emerged completely from the bush. He noticed the beautiful black markings coating her body, and couldn't help but stare. Never had he seen such a rare pelt, and it interested him on who she had been born from to get those marks.

"Well, Jagged," Thunder meowed, "Perhaps we should get going, if we are to do this. Hopefully Tiger, Coco, Panther, and Berry and back with more cats already."

"Who knows," Thorn added, "We may find another."

Thunder used his tail to nudge Jagged into moving, and she glowered at him for a few heartbeats. "Nobody may touch me," She growled, then her gaze softened, "At least, not until I know they aren't strangers."

"Sorry," Thunder meowed, "But we should get going now, then."

"Indeed," Thorn said hurriedly, and he began to pad off, satisfied that he heard the other cats' pawsteps thumping behind him. They padded through the darkening forest, and Thorn didn't know if the night would be an advantage to them or the foxes. He hoped it wasn't the latter.

As they walked, Thorn was aware of another cat's scent filling the air. He felt himself getting excited, the more cats to help, the better the chances of defeating the foxes.

"Hey, is someone there!?" He yelled, ignoring Thunder and Jagged's stares. A silence rang across for a moment, but then small voice spoke. "Are you talking to me?"

He saw another cat, this time younger than he was, but probably only by a moon or so. Her thick, glossy white pelt blew a bit in the gentle breeze and her brilliant blue eyes shone in the darkness, and Thorn found that all he could do was stare. Oh man, she was definitely the most beautiful cat he had ever seen. He found himself gawking at her, and he couldn't seem to stop. Thunder shook his head at him and bent down at the she-cat.

"Greetings," He said, "I'm Thunder, and these are Thorn and Jagged."

The white she-cat nodded with confusion, her long, elegant whiskers twitching. Thunder straightened his knees out. "We wanted to ask you if you could help us with something," He continued, "My kits Claw and Rose were taken by foxes, and we are getting a group to help defeat them. Would you mind joining us?"

"I would love to help you," The she-cat purred in her angelic voice, "I'm Echo, in case you were wondering."

_Echo, _Thorn thought, _a beautiful name for a beautiful young she-cat._ He still couldn't gather up any courage to talk to her, and when she gave a smile that reached her lovely eyes, Thorn couldn't help but wobble a little.

"Thank you very much for agreeing to help," Thunder meowed, bowing to her as he did Jagged. She looked down with pride, her eyes shining. "I'm happy to assist you."

"Well," Jagged interrupted, "If you don't want you kits to be eaten, like you keep continuously mentioning, maybe we should get going."

"She's right," Thorn admitted, though he longed to see Echo happy longer, "Thunder, we should get a move on."

Everyone became serious, and Thunder got in front to lead them. "Come, everyone," he meowed, "Let's meet back up with everyone else."

Thorn ambled through the forest just behind his father's shoulders, and he let himself slow down to match the pace of Echo. Every so often their pelts would brush, and he could feel hotness spread through him, though they didn't exchange any words with each other. _Why can't I say anything to her? _He wondered, _She's just a she-cat; like Ash, Berry, and Jagged._

He felt himself snapped from his thoughts as he noticed the group slow, and he saw Tiger, Berry, Panther, and Coco, each with some new cats.

"Okay everyone," Thunder called, "One by one let's have our groups introduce the new cats. Tiger and Coco may start."

Everyone sat down, some anxious and jumpy and others calm and relaxed, as if they'd been through this kind of thing every day.

Coco stood up, since Tiger was still too shocked with grief to do nodded to the toms she had brought, and both stood tall without hesitation. "The russet tom is Fox, and the golden tom is Lion, they are brothers."

Both toms dipped their heads in greeting, "We are glad we can help," Fox growled, "Together, I'm sure we can drive these foxes out!"

Lion thumped his paws on the ground in return, as if making Fox's words seem more animated. The two brothers took a few steps back, their eyes glowing with ambition. "Okay, thank you Lion and Fox," Thunder spoke up again, "Now who's this you've brought, Panther?"

Between Berry and Panther came the ugliest she-cat Thorn had ever seen. Her pink hairless body was covered in hideous dark spots, and her face sagged with wrinkles, though she couldn't possibly be old enough to have that many.

"I'm Pinky," She said in a surprisingly vivacious tone, "I also agreed to help, for these foxes have been causing me lots of trouble as well!"

She took a few steps back, and sat down. Thunder got up once more, and turned to the she-cats he and Thorn had gathered.

"These are Echo and Jagged," Thunder boomed, and Jagged stepped up proudly and determinedly, while Echo stood next to her with a shy smile put upon her face.

Jagged went up to a large rock poking out of the ground, and jumped up onto it. "I know I'm not the leader or anything," She said modestly, "But I have a few words of encouragement."

"Go right ahead," Said Thunder kindly, pricking his ears to see what the she-cat had to say. Jagged stood as tall on her paws as she could before she began, and she waved her striped tail for silence. "I would like to say that with such a big strong group, we are sure to beat these mangy foxes!" She called out, "We all need to give our best frights for Claw and Rose, as well as ourselves, if we're to be living her any longer!"

The cats below cheered at her as she paused, and she flicked her tail for silence again. "Let it be known that we are the heroes who saved this land from the monstrous foxes!" She announced, then yelled ever louder, "For Claw and Rose!"

"For Claw and Rose!" Everyone chanted. Thorn was surprised at how good she was at encouraging everyone, and decided that it was definitely a good idea to invite her into the "team".

"Now let's go defeat some foxes!" She growled.

**AN: And there it was. So far this was definitely the best chapter, and I hope to improve upon it further. So what did you think? Any suggestions? If you have any tips or constructed criticism to give me, I'll take them without being angry, just so you know. (So long as it isn't super rude)**

**Anyway, now's time for my review answering session XD**

**Jaggedwing: I finally used your character; I was waiting for the perfect time to introduce her. I hope you're okay with the personality I gave her. And to answer you, no it wasn't twolegs, as you read x3, I added the fact that Tiger had bite marks and scratches on her back if you didn't notice… **

**Birdflame: I love ending with cliffies, it makes everyone want to keep reading! Lol.**

**Elysian Phosphorescence: Thank you ;) But I am 13 now, which I'm happy about, a teen! Yay!**

**Happyascanbe83: Thank you very much, you are very kind. I know Ash's personality is a little foggy, but it is because she is such a mysterious cat, in the plot. **

**Goodbye all and thanks for being so very supportive! Please send in reviews, I absolutely love reading them all!**

**~Lissa **__


	6. Chapter 4

**AN: Heh, I'm back. You all make me so happy with these reviews I get each chapter x3**

**Even if it's just 2 or 3, it feels like a lot to me :-) **

**Anyway… back onto topic of the story, this chapter will have the fight with the foxes, but will they win? Will everyone survive? There's a sort-of twist to the chapter. Some of you may expect it but others may not ;)**

**Now for the story: I hope you like it :3**

**And here it is…**

Chanting filled the air as everyone called out "defeat the foxes!" Thorn noticed his father making way to the tall rock, and he waited to hear the battle plan he knew Thunder would have already thought of.

Thunder hopped up onto the rock and Jagged stepped back, leaving room for the large tom. He drew his lips back in a snarl, and he spoke in a gruff voice; "Now everyone, the foxes will most likely be in their burrow. If nobody else noticed, there were two entrances to the space underground. We will divide into two groups, and each group will go into one of the holes. We will fight the foxes in the interstice, where they will be cramped and less likely to fight well. Only we must watch out for their fangs, use your smaller size to dart out of the way, if you can."

Murmurs of agreement, ambition, and uncertainty ran through the cats below, but in all they all agreed the plan worked fine. Thunder gathered the group together, and they all headed to the foxes' burrow. Thorn was relieved to see that the foxes were just heading into their burrow, so that the all the group had to do was wait until the big ginger animals were settled before they attacked. Thorn's heart thumped hard, he couldn't believe he was actually going to get fight! He noticed Echo looking nervous, her ears pinned back and her eyes full of fear. He padded up to her and stood beside her, and he could feel himself growing hot and anxious. He meant to say some reassuring words to her, but he couldn't gather the courage to.

Echo turned, and gave a strained smile, inching just a bit closer to Thorn. "Thanks," She whispered, and Thorn instantly became even hotter than he was before. Her soft fur brushed his, and suddenly it felt as if time stopped. He hoped he could stay there longer, before they had to attack the foxes.

Thorn's peace was broken by Thunder's rough whispering. His father growled under his breath to the group the plan once more, and finished off with a; "Go, now!"

Everyone separated equally, and Thorn simply followed Echo, promising to himself that he would keep her safe. He didn't know what love felt like exactly, but somehow he could tell this was it. He hoped that in some way, sometime, that Echo would feel the same way. Maybe when they were older something big could spark, right?

Thorn entered the burrow behind the cats Lion, Berry, Tiger, and Fox; with Echo at his side. He gathered up some courage, and leaned closer to Echo. "Hey, want to be battle partners?"

The fluffy she-cat looked even more nervous than before, and so she nodded gratefully. The scent of foxes was beginning to overwhelm Thorn, and over the shoulders of some of the cats he could see the red pelts against the dark earthy ground. Tiger was in the lead, and she turned her head back. "Okay, everyone," she mewed in a hushed whisper, "I see Rose and Claw, they are injured a bit but otherwise okay. Now move."

The six-cat group exploded into the sleeping den, and began to pounce on the two parent foxes. The fox kits let out squeals and tried to run out of the other exit, but five more cats blocked their way. Thorn became lost in the hissing, snarls, yowls, and growls of both the cats and the foxes. Echo shank back, and Thorn found himself murmuring "It's alright," though too quiet for her to hear him at all.

He took a few steps forward, and Echo followed, and the two met up with a fox kit. It was just the size of Echo, so not that hard of a defeat, though Thorn wondered if the other battles were going okay. He decided to show some bravery, and leapt onto the smaller kit boldly. It yelped and growled as it tried to shake him off. Echo was clawing at its flank, making it bark with pain. Thorn jumped off and shoved the kit over, and before it could get back up he unsheathed his own claws and swiped at it. He used the same tactics that Thunder had spent so long teaching him, and he felt himself swelling with pride as the kit went unconscious.

"We- did- it!" Echo gasped between breathes. Thorn beamed, as he saw that the father and the other two kits were either dead or unconscious as well. All that was left was the mother, the hardest opponent of all. Both Panther and Thunder were planted on top of the fox, as it thrashed around wildly and snapped at the other cats that were trying to claw and bite it. Even in the dark Thorn could see the fear in its eyes, and he suddenly felt bad for the vixen. Rose and Claw were both cowering in a corner, safe as Tiger had said, and Thorn gave a relieved breath for his littermates.

Then, suddenly, the fox thrashed so hard that Thunder was thrown off its back. Thorn watched in horror as the fox sank its teeth into his father's neck, and he ran to Thunder's side, leaving Echo behind. "No!" He exclaimed, and he slashed his claws down the mother fox's face. Blood began to pour from her eyes and nose, and he realized that he may have just blinded it. The mother fox shrieked and kicked wildly, escaping the holds of most of the cats and running off. Instantly Thorn heard cheers, and he realized it was he who had delivered the last blow on the fox. He raised his tail with pride, but then remembered his father.

"Wait! Thunder is hurt!" Thorn called, and soon enough Tiger, Coco, Berry, Echo, Claw and Rose were at his side. The others continued to chant their victory. Thorn watched his father's back closely, but realized with dread that it wasn't rising and falling with breathes. "Oh, my mate," Tiger cried, "First I almost lose my kits, and now I think I've really lost the one I love!"

"I'm so sorry," Thorn heard Berry whisper to Claw. His brother sighed and flattened his ears. Thorn still couldn't believe it. He _had _to be alive, how could the strongest cat he ever knew have died so fast? Thorn's tail drooped and he lowered his head sadly. Without his father, he had no idea how he could do anything right again. This meant more than anything that he and Claw had to step up and hunt for Tiger and Rose, even though Claw was probably the laziest cat in the world.

"We can bury his body," Echo suggested sadly. Heads turned to her, and Tiger gave a nod. "That would be best," She sighed, "Now please, every cat help!"

Some of the group had already left, but Coco, Panther, Berry, Tiger, Claw, Rose, and Echo stayed. Tiger lifted her mate onto her back, grunting with effort, as the big tom was very massive and heavy. Thorn rushed to his mother's side and stood up tall to help support the body. Claw joined in on the other side, and Rose held her father's tail up. They carried the body solemnly from the tunnel with the other cats following, and just as they escaped the burrow, rain started to patter upon them.

The weather just seemed to make the whole thing seem even sadder than it already was, and Tiger dumped Thunder off her back onto the ground grimly. "I can't believe this is happening," Thorn heard his mother mutter, and he silently agreed with her. Echo began to dig a burying hole and Coco quickly joined in. Thorn nodded to his mother and they joined the digging as well. He dug between Echo and his mother, and when the hole seemed big enough they dispersed away from it.

Tiger bowed her head and gave a silent prayer. Sympathy filled every eye as the mourning she-cat buried her muzzle into her dead mate's fur. She got up and rolled Thunder into the hole, and together the band kicked dirt over him.

Thorn couldn't believe he was gone, they were together for seven and a half moons, and now, just like that, he was gone forever. He knew his mother was grieving far more than he was, but it didn't stop him from squeezing his eyes shut with pain. "Oh Thunder," He murmured, "How could you leave us?"

Tiger lifted her head, eyes closed as rain brushed at her soaked face, and let out a yowl to the stars. Rose went up to her mom and nuzzled her sweetly. "It's okay mama," She squeaked, "You still have me."

Tiger didn't respond, and Rose looked somewhat hurt, but she kept cuddling into her fur anyway. Thorn stood by the grave; his pelt slicked with rain, and closed his eyes to mourn. Most everyone did the same, except Panther, who lay under a tree to grieve his friend.

Thunder crashed overhead, and Thorn caught himself thinking that his father was still with him, just not in the way he used to be. He let himself be soothed by the loud thunder, hoping it meant the dead Thunder was watching over them now. _I wish things could be different, _he thought gravely,_ but now I suppose that hardships are to come now, especially with leafbare around the corner_.

Thorn settled down, his back hunched as raindrops fell onto him. The group would have to leave soon, for it was getting late, but Thorn couldn't stand to leave his father. With dismay he realized everyone was getting up and getting ready to leave. Even Tiger came up to him and told him that he needed to get ready to go.

Thorn got up and stood next to Claw, with Rose wedged between them both. Echo padded up to them, a sad expression on her face. "I'm very sorry about your father," She mewed to he and his littermates, "Mine died only a moon ago, so I understand."

"Thank you," Thorn and Claw both meowed in union. Rose was shivering between the brothers, so Thorn figured it was best to get her home. "Bye, Echo, it was nice meeting you," He said, finally happy he was able to speak to her. The white she-cat dipped her head. "Pleasure meeting you too,"

Tiger joined the little group and they all turned and walked side by side. "I hope to see you again," Thorn called, again proud of being able to talk to the she-cat, and Echo purred loudly in reply. "You too."

Thorn's family walked together, and so did Berry's. It felt like such a long trip, much longer than before, and he wished so hard that he could wake up from the dream, that Thunder was dead, even if it meant Echo wasn't real. When they at last arrived at the clearing, Coco said goodbye to Tiger, and the family went to their own den.

Tiger led her kits sadly to the fern den, which was uncomfortably damp. Thorn settled in his nest, and stared at Thunder's empty one. Even with four cats, the den seemed so empty without Thunder. He was aware that Claw had settled next to him, just as they did when they were little kits. Thorn was thankful for the company, as he closed his eyes and tried to fall into sleep.

_Oh Thunder, _Thorn thought gloomily, _Why can't you still be with me?_

Then, words came back in his head. The voice was unmistakable; the voice of his father rang into his very own ears, as if it were coming from Thunder himself.

_I will always be with you_

**AN: Done! Anyway, as a small explanation, in thunderstorms Thunder is able to speak with Thorn. It's kind of like Thunder's afterlife lays in storm clouds, rather than Starclan. Also how do you feel about EchoxThorn? Or do you like AshxThorn better? Well anyway, reviews now:**

**Birdflame: That's what she's there for, yo xD**

**Jaggedwing: Yay ^_^ you will see more of her soon. **

**Ciao :)**

**~Lissa **


	7. Chapter 5

**AN: Yellow ^_^**

**It's writing time…**

**And I have everything for Echo and Ash and whatever planned out, so you'll just be surprised, I suppose. So I really have no idea whatsoever to write, so I'll just cut to the good stuff xD**

**Get ready because after just 4 chapters, I think it was, I'm already going to the big plot. **

**This story will most likely be shorter than Born Into Stars, maybe between 20-30 chapters- but you (and I) never know!**

**So… I guess I should just get on with the story, then? Okay, right, here it is pals:**

Already around three moons have passed since Thunder died, and Thorn learned how to speak with him through thunderstorms. He felt awkward, being that when everyone else is upset at the storms- for they brought scarce prey and wet pelts- he was a joyful as a kit who was leaving his den for the very first time. But he wouldn't dare tell anyone, they would think he were crazy.

Now that he was already ten moons, Thorn became very talented with hunting and fighting. One day that passed, he defeat a cat bigger than him, _and _caught enough prey for the whole family, and the supply lasted two days! Claw was maybe catching around one or two morsels a day, and was nothing compared to his brother. Thorn could feel the jealousy from his brother when his mother praised him but scolded Claw, and for some reason it made him proud. Over the moons he and Claw grew farther and farther apart, and now it felt as if they weren't even brothers anymore. Thorn guessed the only reason Claw hadn't already left to go on his own was because of his lack of skill; he could never survive on his own. _I guess he should have listened to me before, _thought Thorn, _I would help him, but he won't let me…_

"Hi, Thorn!" A familiar, sweet voice called out, and Thorn was instantly pulled out of his daze. He blinked before turning, and he saw the beautiful face of Echo, as she skidded to a stop at the patch of clovers Thorn was resting in. Also over time he and Echo had grown really close, and were now very good friends. He and Ash were getting very close as well, despite the fact of her muteness. He wondered if one day he could be mates with Echo- and if not Ash (but in his opinion, Echo would be better).

"Hey, Echo," Thorn purred, "How are you doing?"

"Good, thanks," Echo mewed, with mock politeness, "And how are you?"

Thorn nudged her with his paw. "I _was _bored, but I guess I'm better now that you're here."

Echo lifted her head and stuck her muzzle up. "Who wouldn't be?" She asked vainly. Thorn chuckled, and flicked his tail in her face, which made her sneeze. "Hey!" Echo narrowed her eyes. "This means war!"

"Ha, I bet it does!" Thorn growled playfully, but stopped when he realized how kit-like he was acting. "Sorry, I think we got a little out of control."

Echo frowned slightly. "I like that version of you," Then she brightened, "But no matter what you are really special, I guess."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Thorn grinned, "So do you want to go hunting?"

Echo nodded enthusiastically. "That would be fun," She meowed. Thorn sprang onto his paws and shook clovers off his pelt. Frost coated the ground, and made crunching noises every time someone took a step. "Follow me, Echo," Thorn instructed, "Prey will be less scarce if we go somewhere farther from all the loners."

"You're, right," Replied Echo, and she stepped beside Thorn. Together, the two left the cold clearing. Now that Thorn was older, Tiger stopped making him tell her where he was going before he left all the time. She must have known that her son would be smart enough to not get into trouble, and he was, of course, and he would stay that way too. The couple padded wordlessly through the freezing wind, as it blew their fur the wrong direction. Thorn was aware of Echo shivering beside him, and so he inched closer to her for a tad of warmth.

"Thanks," Echo breathed though her chattering teeth. Thorn flushed under his fur. "No problem," he whispered, "And maybe we should stop here to hunt, we're far enough."

"Good, I hate traveling in the cold."

Thorn silently agreed; it was getting very icy recently, and it couldn't be long before greencough began to spread across the cats. Luckily, though, Coco knew herbs well and where to get them, so if anyone did get sick she could most likely help them. Thorn tried to draw in scents, but the air only made his nose feel raw, so he decided to not take in too many deep breaths.

"Okay," Echo mewed, "How about I keep heading with the wind and you go toward the sunset?"

"Alright," Thorn agreed, "We can meet back here, by the pile of rocks, when we get back."

Echo gave a dismissive flick of her tail and headed on. Thorn watched her go for a few heartbeats, and then turned to head off himself. He kept his eyes and ears open as he padded onto a moor. _This place is very open; _Thorn thought to himself, _I should try to be careful here. _

He stopped as he heard a thumping noise beside him, and saw a scrawny rabbit dart past. He knew that stalking the rabbit silently wouldn't work, plus it had already seen him, so he simply pelted after the rabbit. The chase was easy, for the rabbit was too weak to go very fast, and Thorn had already been fed. He lashed out at the bunny, and it dropped limp below him. He lifted his catch proudly and turned to bury the prey back at the rock pile.

Then; "Stop! Prey-stealer!"

Thorn turned back around and was greeted by a group of cats, two she-cats and a tom. He glared at them. "This is _my _catch, nobody was after it before so it's mine!"

The tom shook his head with annoyance. "You loners are so stupid."

"There is nothing wrong with me!" Thorn stammered indignantly, bristling, "I caught it and it's mine, so back off."

One of the she-cats, with a pale, flecked coat, took a menacing step closer to him. "Don't try to run away," she hissed "everyone knows Windclan have the fastest cats. And we need this prey more than you do!"

Thorn shook his head. "Windclan?" He echoed, "What's Windclan?"

The tom snickered loudly, his amber eyes sparkling with amusement. "So you haven't heard of the clans?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Thorn retorted.

The tom sniggered again. "Okay, then give us the rabbit willingly and I can tell you about us," He said, "Because we're getting it no matter what."

Thorn huffed angrily. "Fine," He grumbled, and he dropped the rabbit at their feet, "But I do want to know what these _clans _are."

"Alright then, settle down and let us tell you."

The two she-cats shot each other glances. "We thought you were kidding," One mewed, "So you are actually going to tell him?"

"Well, why not, it's fun to explain our lives to other cats," The tom argued, entertained.

"Fine, but make it quick," The other she mumbled.

"Well then, loner, might you want to tell me your name?" The tom asked.

Thorn shuffled his paws. "Uh, I'm Thorn." He answered silently.

The tom grinned teasingly. "Nice to meet you, Thorn, I'm Brightshadow."

"Now let me tell you about ourselves. We call this large area the lake. There are four warrior clans; which are Windclan, the best clan, Thunderclan, Shadowclan, and Riverclan. We Windclan cats are faster and leaner than the other cats. Thunderclan consider themselves strong, but they're really just kittypets. Shadowclan are like their name- shadows, very quiet and secretive. And then there are Riverclan cats, but they are really more like fish than cats.

"Each clan has many different ranks. Our youngest cats are kits, and they just stay in the nursery with queens; their mothers. When a kit reaches six moons they become an apprentice and train to hunt and fight. You would probably be an apprentice, Thorn. Then, when a cat is around 12 or 13 moons; or they prove themselves strong and capable, they become a warrior. Warriors hunt, fight, go on patrol, and train their apprentices. We also have a leader who is in charge, and a deputy who is second in charge. Then, lastly, there's a medicine cat, which knows herbs and speaks with Starclan. They don't hunt or fight, just heal."

Thorn's mind was spinning. There were too many ideas to process. He wasn't sure if he understood any of that very well. "I think I understand," he half-lied, "But can I ask a few questions?"

The two she's groaned, but Brightshadow nodded. Thorn sat on his haunches, and opened his mouth to speak. "I don't understand that name of yours. In a dream I met a cat with one just like it, what does it mean?"

"In clans we have two syllable names. If you are a kit, then let's say… Thornkit. If you are an apprentice, then your name would be Thornpaw. If you became a warrior, maybe you would be Thornheart, or something. And if you were a leader, then Thornstar, since leaders are given nine lives by Starclan."

Thorn tilted his head. "You've mentioned Starclan twice now, but I don't know what it is."

Brightshadow flinched. "I almost forgot to tell you about Starclan, Starclan are our ancestors. When a good-spirited clan cat dies he or she goes to Starclan. It's a place of abundance and peace. Starclan cats give leaders nine lives, and they also deliver prophecies- mainly to medicine cats."

"Oh I see," Thorn nodded, and silently added, _Sort of like how Thunder's soul is associated with storms. _

"I think you should go now, young loner." A she-cat said curtly, her tail lashing with exasperation. Brightshadow mumbled his agreement. "You shouldn't come back, either, unless you want a claw in the face."

Thorn snorted, upset that the cats were being overprotective of their territory once again, but he decided to leave. "I'll go then, farewell," He meowed casually, and he turned tail and left quickly. Echo was probably wondering where he was, so maybe it was best to leave anyway.

On the way back, Thorn caught a fat shrew, which was good because Echo would probably have questioned him if he came back late with no prey. He hurried back, and halted at the pile, where Echo was waiting.

"Where have you been?!" She demanded, as Thorn panted a fox-length away from her, "I was getting worried!"

Thorn shivered. "I'm sorry; I had a run-up with some other wild-cats. They took my rabbit."

Echo sighed, looking down at the ground. "I don't want to lose you," She murmured.

Thorn gave her a comforting nuzzle, ignoring his wild heartbeat as he did so. It felt good to make her happy, and bad to make her upset. "I won't do it again," He whispered, and he pulled away, "I guess we need to go back to our homes, then."

"Yeah," Echo nodded, and with a slight hesitation she gave him a gentle tap of her muzzle as well. Thorn almost fell over. Many times had he done something like that to her, but this was the first time she had ever tried to flirt back. Maybe the little act could mean something, maybe she liked him too, maybe, in just a few more moons, he could ask her to be his mate.

_I'm going crazy, _Thorn scolded himself, and he took off with Echo, _She was just worried. It might not have meant anything…_

Though no matter what he told himself, he couldn't help but hope. Maybe, one day, his daydreams would come true.

**AN: So. How are you all :D **

** Anyway that was fun to write. Thorn finally met the clans, and I'll go ahead and call it a good thing. Can I brag about something? Okay! Well I was on the news at a grand opening of an ice rink, and I was pretty much the second-best skater there xD**

** So anyway, I want to answer the reviews, as always :) **

** Tawnystar of Hiddenclan: I think I'm sticking to ThornxEcho, it's easier, but Ash has a big role in Thorn's life as well. Also nice name, haha.**

** Birdflame: Then here's some cheese *throws Swiss wonder* And thank you :3 You is so very supportive.**

** Jaggedwing: Thanks to you also, you are also very supportive. I like that. And yeah, I honestly think I like ThornxEcho too. **


	8. Chapter 6

**AN: Hi again, everyone :3**

**How was your day? I'm just sad that Thanksgiving break is over, and that I have to wait another 3 weeks for Winter Break ;-;**

**Oh the sadness… well I did get this started so I will work on it today, maybe writing will take my mind off of things. **

**Hey, and does anyone have any advice for a crush? He sits next to me in Social Studies. It's my first one but I can't tell if he feels the same way back, he might though…**

**I feel like he's looking at me through my side vision, but it may just be to look at my papers. He also asks me for help and almost nobody else, would that mean anything? Then he caught that I messed something up on my paper and I fixed it, then he laughed about it so I laughed too O-O**

**Don't worry, if you say he probably doesn't like me back it won't crush my dreams or anything xD I'm not sensitive online. **

Thorn sat awake in his nest. Dawn had only just arrived, and everyone but himself was still asleep. He was now pretty much full grown, at the age of 11 moons. Once leafbare ended, he figured he would leave to make a life of his own, and hopefully with Echo at his side. Though no matter how much he tried to convince himself that being a loner was the best life to live, he would dream and long to see those… _clans_... again.

He got up left the den silently, stepping into the powdery snow outside. He decided he would hunt, for there was hunger gnawing at everyone's belly at that point. Luckily, Claw had learned how to hunt, and so had Rose. With everyone hunting, everyone was getting almost enough prey to fill their bellies, but it still wasn't the same without Thunder.

"Hi, Thorn," Mewed a small voice from behind him. Thorn turned his head while lifting paw for balance, and saw his sister Rose, stepping through the entrance of their fern den. Her pelt had gradually turned from fluffy kit fur to a beautiful, silky pelt. Her turquoise eyes glittered as she fully left the den, and she fluffed out her fur to protect herself from the biting cold.

"Good morning, Rose." Thorn meowed after a moment, "Up for some hunting?"

"You know it!" Rose gushed, "Maybe we should get Claw too!"

Thorn snorted with amusement. "Claw? Hunting? At this time of day? Humph, when hedgehogs fly!"

Rose chuckled, and so did Thorn. They were almost instantly interrupted by an angry cough, and they both looked to the side to see Claw standing just behind them. "What do you mean, me hunting at this time of day?" He growled, "I'm just as good as any of you! I'll prove it!"

Rose purred, "Are you suggesting a hunting contest?"

"The biggest contest ever known to all of cat kind!"

…

So there he was. Thorn found himself caught in the middle of a stupid hunting contest. Why'd he ever agree to it, he didn't know. He had caught six mice, getting lucky by find a mouse burrow, and buried it at the foot of the big forest. He considered that enough to win as is, and he had until sundown still. _I think I have an idea, _he thought to himself, _I'll travel back to those clans, or whatever, and see what more I can find out. _

And he trotted off. Thorn wasn't that far away from the lake, so he just had to make his way there while catching any prey he could find along the way. The snow kept giving way under his paws, which made some obstacle, but it surprisingly was helping him a bit. Each time the snow gave way, Thorn's head was forced to look upward, and one of those times he saw a crow perched on a branch above.

He clambered up the tree, and killed the crow easily, then buried it under a tree and marked his scent so he wouldn't forget where it was. He knew he was getting close to his destination, for a new scent washed over him. A strong musky reek filled the air, and there were pine trees ahead of him. _This must be Thunderclan or Shadowclan, _Thorn told himself, and he padded past the strong scent line gingerly.

It was dark, and there didn't seem to be any sign of animal life anywhere. The thick branches of the evergreens wove together to form a barrier, and not much snow was falling into the murky terrain. He wondered why any cat would want a territory like this, but then again it could help shelter any prey that came into it. Then a gust of wind hit him, with a scent of cats too strong to be left over from another day. Voices arose as well, and Thorn desperately leapt into a tree and hid on a fat branch.

"I smell rough." He heard a voice snarl below him, and he tensed.

"Well, I don't see any roughs, Pinecreek." Replied a she's voice with annoyance.

"I smell it too! You've got to be missing something, Sunfur." A young, lighthearted voice said. _Probably an apprentice, as that Brightshadow cat told me. _

"Hush, Hawkpaw, respect your mentor!" It was the she-cat, Sunfur, again.

"Fine," Mumbled the voice of Hawkpaw, "But I swear there's a rough here somewhere!"

"Mudspots, do _you _scent rough?" Pinecreek meowed below Thorn.

"No, but with all this cold it's probably just my stuffy nose." Another young voice responded.

"Well I think you all are just being overdramatic mouse-brains," Sunfur snapped, "come on; let's just go patrol near the Riverclan border. I _am _leading this patrol, aren't I?"

Thorn sighed with relief as he heard them pad away. _So apparently these cats patrol their territories, _He thought, interested,_ that would explain why that Windclan patrol that caught me were so intent on getting me out. _

He saw another branch from another tree looming just mouse-lengths away from him. Quickly, he took a leap and landed gracefully on the next branch. "Maybe I can take more looks around by hopping around up here," He whispered to himself, as he began springing from branch to branch again.

He stopped when he'd reached another group of cats, and a very strong scent.

"Prey-stealers!" _That term again. _

"What?" A new voice said, "It's you filthy Shadowclan cats who are trying to fish in _our _lake, just because you can't finish leafbare yourselves!"

"The whole lake does not belong to you," The young cat, Hawkpaw, hissed.

"Indeed, Hawkpaw is right, for once," Mudspots crowed, "The Lake belongs to whoever has access to it; and we're much hungrier than you all are, you fox-hearted Riverclan cats!"

A loud hissing broke out amongst the two groups and Thorn watched them with fascination. That must be why they were so obsessed with patrols, so that the enemies didn't take their food. Thorn had to admit it seemed quite smart, but still seeming selfish in a few ways.

"Quiet now!" Bellowed a tan she-cat from the Riverclan side, "We can discuss this at the gathering tonight, no need to injure ourselves now."

"But Blossomleaf we-"

"What I say goes, as the deputy of your clan," Blossomleaf stated, "I will tell Mothstar about this, but we don't want you filthy cats in our lake!"

With that, the Riverclan cats turned and stalked away. Shadowclan did as well. _Gathering, what's that? _Thorn wondered, but he knew he would find out tonight. He leapt down of the tree once he was sure every cat was gone, and pelted out.

He stopped at a tree and unburied his crow. It was cold by then, but a fine catch nonetheless. He dragged himself through the snow; that was now melting and was becoming more of a sludge pile now than snow.

He unburied his mice as well, and tucked them under his chin. It felt awkward and uncomfortable, but it was still a good strategy. Thorn made his way back to the camp just before the sun could be swallowed up by the horizon, and dropped his prey off in front of his siblings.

"So who won?" He asked the putative question proudly. Claw grumbled as he dropped off his mere catch of a shrew and a wagtail, and Rose dropped a plump vole.

"Sorry, but look, we have so much prey now that we will have a feast," Thorn mewed. Claw grunted again, but Rose went up to her brother smiling. "Echo is lucky to have you, you know," she purred, making Thorn grow hot under his pelt, "You're a great hunter, fighter, you and Claw are both very handsome, and you are kind too."

Thorn twitched his whiskers with embarrassment, "Echo and I aren't mates, or anything yet," He corrected halfheartedly. Rose looked unconvinced. "If not now, then later," She chuckled, and before Thorn could reply she took his blackbird and settled near the ferns. Thorn took his sister's vole and a baby mouse, and settled on the opposite side of her.

Claw and Tiger got their pick of prey too, and even then they had a shrew and two mice left over. Thorn's mother tucked away the remains of prey and entered the den absentmindedly. Claw and Rose followed, so Thorn got up and entered as well. Their den was cozy and warm as always, but Thorn knew he had to see what the gathering was. Once everyone fell asleep, which didn't take long at all, Thorn got to his paws and snuck out noiselessly.

As quickly as he could, Thorn put on a burst of speed as he ran through the melting snow. He had to reach the lake quickly, where he could see what the cats would do there. He ran through an unclaimed territory that led to the lake, it was between a twolegplace and Riverclan territory, so he would easily go unnoticed. He ran across an empty twoleg bridge, and to the right of a flowing river. He reached a stretch of marsh, and padded through it.

The area was barely marsh anymore, though, after some twolegs planted metal underground. The water had mostly dried up, but the ground still felt squishy and muddy every time Thorn took a step. It couldn't be that much longer before the land would completely dried up, but as of now it was definitely not a livable space.

He saw an island with a large tree on it, and upon it many cats were gathered. There was a fallen tree that connected the island to land, but the marsh had dried up enough to leave not that much space between the land and the murk Thorn was on. He slinked through the weeds and got as close as he could to the island, though not daring to go onto it. Four cats sat on the branches of the giant tree, and four sat on the roots. One cat, the tan she-cat known as Blossomleaf, sat on one of the roots. Thorn recalled her saying she was a deputy, so he figured that deputies were on the roots, and maybe it was the leaders that sat on the branches.

The other cats that were sitting on the branches were a ginger tom, a scarred tortoiseshell she-cat, and… was that _Brightshadow_ Thorn saw?

"Attention all cats!" Called a light brown tom from the tallest branch, "Let the gathering begin, I shall speak on the accord of Riverclan first!"

Some cats cheered, while others just snorted and coughed rudely. The tom lashed his tail for silence. "Now, the prey has been running well enough in Riverclan, but would be running much better is Shadowclan weren't stealing our prey!"

Outraged yowls came from what must've been the Shadowclan cats. Thorn watched with curiosity as the Shadowclan cats stood up for themselves, even though they weren't as strong as those of Riverclan. He also wondered why even though such disputes were going on, that nobody was attacking one another.

"That's outrageous, Mothstar," Boomed a she-cat leader's voice, "I know well that no cat from Shadowclan would want to steal any of your prey. Also, I have replaced Stormstar as leader, for he has lost his ninth life." Murmurs of congratulation and sorrow filled the air, and Thorn recalled that when a leader died they were replaced by whoever was previously chosen as deputy. He supposed that Brightshadow was Dawnstar's choice on a deputy.

"Congratulations, Dawnstar," Mewed a gray she-cat, "Our leader, Brightstar, lost her last life as well. I am now Dovestar and I received my nine lives as leader, and I have chosen Firefall to be my deputy."

More murmurs of sorrow, as Thorn processed with wonder that a leader was given nine lives by Starclan. A mottled gray tom cleared his throat loudly and stood forward. "Let us get back on topic. Why, Mothstar, do you think that we stole any of your prey?"

Mothstar bristled. "My clan has had many witnesses, but this one was the last straw," He hissed, "The fish in the lake are ours!"

More furious caterwauls came from the Shadowclan cats, and Slatestar quieted them with a loud, "SILENCE!"

Slatestar snorted loudly. "Now that you all are quiet, must we go over the warrior code over again?" Slatestar demanded arrogantly, "Remember that our first code is to remain loyal to our clan, and it seems all my cats have."

"And code two plainly says _do not hunt or trespass another clans territory_." Mothstar spat, "And that's exactly what you did!"

"Correction: we hunted on _our _territory." Slatestar said smugly, "But are you all feeding your elders and queens before any other cats, as code three says?"

Mothstar flinched, "Of course we are!"

"Then why do your queens and elders seem so skinny, then?" The Shadowclan leader challenged, "Maybe you are letting kits play with their prey, like code four says not to do?"

"They're old, and they're also feeding kits," Mothstar replied bluntly, then flicked his tail to a very small she-cat, "And I'm sure we don't need to mention that a kit must be six moons before becoming an apprentice?"

Slatestar's darn blue eyes narrowed. "Rosepaw and Hawkpaw are both six full moons, mind you, and I'm absolutely certain you all are making warriors sit vigil?"

An uneasy silence rang through the cats. Slatestar smirked, Thorn could tell from the distance he was at. The loner tom struggled to process everything. He was pretty glad that they were mentioning the entire code, which was almost everything he needed to know. The clans were growing more and more interesting, and he watched eagerly to see what would happen next.

"I didn't think so." Slatestar meowed, taking a step forward, "Maybe everyone needs a reminder of the warrior code again, what I'm doing here is perfect. And is everyone following code seven; that our deputies must mentor at least one apprentice?"

Dawnstar nodded, her white muzzle outlined by the moonlight. "Brightshadow is almost finished mentoring Milkpaw."

"Good," Slatestar crowed, "And it's obvious everyone is following code eight and nine. But _is_ everyone choosing a new deputy before moonhigh?"

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the leaders and deputies, and Slatestar held a pleased expression. "And code 10, that there a truce at every gathering. I think we are handling that one pretty well. Same situation is with code 11; checking and marking our borders daily."

"Code 12 was to never neglect a kit in danger, but I think we are also good with that too." Dawnstar rumbled, "Code 13 is that the word of a leader is the warrior code, and I'm pleased to say that all my cats are following me well so soon."

Satisfied grunts ran through some cats, and the other three leaders agreed. Slatestar' flicked a scarred ear. "Let's see, code 14 says that an honorable warriors doesn't kill in battle, so I'd hope that the two deaths of leaders weren't caused by other cats."

"Oh certainly not," Agreed Dawnstar, "All of our leaders die in worthy ways. Now may I state that a warrior rejects the life of a kittypet, _Thunderclan_."

"Accepting a few kittypets in our past does not at all mean we want their life," Dovestar mewed defensively, "And that leaves code 16, that each clan can be proud and independent, but must accept help when needed. Thunderclan is always happy to give it."

There was a silence, and Thorn was starting to see that dawn's light was nearing. He'd have to leave soon. He turned tail and pelted away, while hearing the muffled call of, "Gathering over." He now knew so much more about the clans, and maybe just enough to join one too.

**So, that was long and juicy! Definitely my longest chapter yet, woohoo! Hope everyone enjoyed it; and if not enjoy the next one, which will come as always next weekend. As long as I have time, that is. **

**Well, Ciao, I guess**

**~Lissa **


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry I forgot to the review answering, I'll do it here instead XD**

**Happyascanbe83: Okay. I think you need to work on your spelling and grammar xD**

**Scourge728: Thank you :) The support is appreciated**

**Birdflame: Enjoy the cheese.**

**Jaggedwing: Yup, and I just like throwing cheese at people. You'll also soon see what happens, It'll go by somewhat fast.**

**Okay, well, here's the story:  
><strong> _Who do I ask to join? What will I have to do? Will Tiger and Rose be okay without my help?_

Thorn's head spun wildly with all the thoughts. At last he was a full 12 moons of age, and he had grown to almost the size that his father was. He was told many moons ago that at 12 moons loners must leave their homes to build a new family, and Claw had already done that with Berry. Thorn wasn't sure exactly where the couple went, but all he knew is that it was almost impossible that they'd thrive on their own. He couldn't wait to ask Echo, being that she would say yes. If she agreed to be his mate, he'd probably be the happiest cat in the world. "Thorn, dear, I don't mean to rush you, but I'm sure Echo is just waiting for you to pick her up." That was Tiger. Thorn's mother had gradually gotten over her dead mate, and became capable of hunting once again. She also seemed in a hurry to make her son leave with Echo, which Thorn didn't know whether to take that as an insult or advice, but he did know for one thing that she was right.

"I'll go now, actually." He meowed confidently, with a silent prick of hope that Echo would accept his invitation. Tiger blinked at Thorn with a sad smile. "I want you to stay, son, but we all know the rules."

"Yeah," Thorn murmured in agreement, and gave his mother a soft muzzle. "I'll visit, of course."

"Please do," Tiger nuzzled him back, and then turned to face the den. "Rose, it's time to say goodbye to your brother!"

Rose stumbled out of the ferns and scampered to Thorn. "I can't believe you're leaving already," she mewed, running her thick tail against her brother's back. Thorn nodded sullenly, "I will miss you both, but I'll visit, of course."

"You better," Rose joked, then her face grew serious. "You should head to Echo. And hey, have confidence, you'll be fine!"

"Thanks," Thorn purred, "I'll see you again, I promise."

He turned and padded through the snow-melt, calling one last goodbye behind him. He would head to Echo's log, and ask her the question he had wanted to ask for a long time. Wind buffeted Thorn's fur, and he just noticed how windy it was. There was a thick wall of clouds in the distance, and he figured another storm was on the way. _Any chance to speak with Thunder is good for me. _

He shuffled past a few maple trees as he went mindlessly to Echo's log. The wind wasn't in his favor, blowing fiercely onto him. It was a struggle to run, so he stuck to a slow walk instead. When he neared the log, he sped up a bit. Soon it came into his vision, and he began to call Echo's name out.

The sleek pelted she-cat slinked out of the log at the sound of her name. When she saw Thorn, she brightened up. "Hi!"

"Hey, Echo!" Thorn had to yell to keep volume with the rushing wind. "Can we go inside?"

"Great idea, never would have thought of that" Echo called sarcastically. "Come on in."

Thorn crawled into the tight log, instantly calmed by the soothing scent of lavender and pine. "The scents are a great touch," Thorn commented. Echo nodded with agreement. "It really makes the place feel great!" She agreed.

"Indeed," Thorn murmured, soon remembering the reason he was there. He shuffled his paws awkwardly and blinked down at Echo. "So, I have a question to ask you…"

"Yes?" Echo's brilliant blue eyes sparkled, and Thorn found himself mesmerized in her gaze. When he realized he was gawking at her, he looked up at the top of the log uneasily. "Sorry, I didn't mean to act like a mouse-brain"

"Its fine, you can ask your question now."

Thorn looked into her eyes and let a stroke of confidence run through him. "I wanted to ask if..." He was interrupted by a loud shrieking wind. Slowly, the log started to move, dragging against the ground, gaining speed quickly.

"What's going on?' Echo wailed, and Thorn poked his head out of the log. His eyes widened when he saw what looked like a funnel of wind. "There's a funnel of wind out there!" He yowled, "We have to get out of here!"

"But my den-" Echo began to protest, but Thorn had already jumped out the other end. The log slid and the wind began to pull Thorn as well, his fur ruffled madly by the wind. "Get out of there _now!_"

Echo squeezed her way to the end, but was stopped as the log was lifted off the ground. "Echo no!" Thorn shrieked, but she only stared down with horror. "You have to jump!"

Echo called something but it wasn't hearable against the hissing wind. She dropped from the log, and landed ungracefully on her back. Thorn darted over to her and dug her teeth into her scruff. Though it took much effort, he was making his way against the storm. Inch by inch they moved; and Thorn's fear of death increased nerve by nerve as the wind funnel howled angrily.

Echo's eyes opened to slits, and she let out a faint whimper of pain, soon to close her eyes once again. Thorn tried to be a little gentler, but was still intent on getting away from the storm. To his fortune, it ran away almost as quickly as it came. Thorn watched as the funnel sucked up twigs and leaves that were in its path, and knocked over several tiny trees. He sighed with relief as it blew away, but blood roared in his ears and his heart felt as if it would explode from his chest.

Thorn dropped Echo on a patch of dandelions, and gave her a gentle nudge with his nose. "Echo, are you alright?"

Her eyes flickered before opening, and she stared at Thorn. "Y-You… saved… m-me-e" She stuttered, looking at him with both pain and admiration, a small smile plastered upon her face. Thorn gingerly pressed a paw to her back, and she flinched. "D-don't do that please," She whined.

"Sorry," Thorn mewed. "It seems tender, but I don't think it's broken, you can rest assured."

"G-good," Echo squeaked. Thorn sat next to her, pelts brushing as the white she-cat lay down drowsily, head on paws. He looked past some trees and saw the sun beginning to set over the fuzzy horizon. _Best to do it now than any other time, _Thorn thought, turning to look at the lovely Echo as her ruffled pelt blew about in the remaining breeze.

"Echo?" He whispered, and Echo raised her head and turned to him. "Yes?"

"About my question…" He broke off, annoyed with his nervousness. Despite how strong of a cat he was, he could never act as strong and confident as he liked to around Echo.

"Don't be shy," Echo purred with amusement, dropping her head to look through lowered eyes. "You can always ask me anything, you should know that."

"Well, I'm 12 moons now, a full grown cat," Thorn started, his voice pitching strangely.

Echo looked at him expectantly, her ears pricked up. "And?" She queried, sounding almost desperate for him to finish.

"Umm well," Thorn continued awkwardly, "At 12 moons, cats are supposed to leave their dens and make a family of their own…"

Echo's eyes sparkled. "Please continue," She mewed, and Thorn was aware of her pelt growing hot as he spoke.

"Okay, I guess I left my den for good now," He went on, growing more and more anxious, "So I can make a family of my own now."

Echo scowled at him impatiently. "Just get on with it already," She meowed, with an edge of irritation and expectation to her voice.

"I wanted you to be the one I start a family with," Thorn finally admitted, "Echo, will you make me the luckiest cat in the world, and agree to be my mate?"

Echo beamed so brightly that she looked like she would explode. "Oh Thorn, I've honestly been waiting for you to ask that for a moon!"

"Is that a yes?" Thorn purred.

"Yes, it _is _a yes." She purred back, and she snuggled up onto Thorn. "We should find a den?"

Thorn grew hot all over again. _Sleeping with Echo? In the same den? This may be a dream come true._

"There's a sort of shallow cave over in those rocks." Echo suggested, staggering to her paws. "Would you mind finding some moss?"

"Not at all," Thorn agreed, and he trotted up to a mossy tree. Unsheathing his claws, he raked clumps of moss down one by one, and when he had enough piled on the ground, he lifted some up and tucked the other bits under his chin. Head high, he trotted to the cave where Echo was sitting. She smiled with gratitude. "Thanks."

"Anything for you, Echo," He replied, and began to spread the moss into a nest. "Here, lie down in this."

Echo obeyed, but looked up at Thorn questioningly. "But what about you?"

"The ground is fine, I guess." He answered, slumping down. Echo shook her head. "No way, you're coming into the moss too."

"You're okay with that?' Thorn asked.

Echo nodded kindly. "Anything for a new _mate_."

Thorn settled beside her appreciatively, and Echo nuzzled into him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Thorn responded, lowering his head and closing his eyes, easily falling asleep with Echo's warmth pressed beside him.

**…**

_Thorn dreamt himself at the so called Shadowclan's territory. He was with two familiar cats, but he couldn't quite remember their names. They were on a patrol, and Thorn had a sense of what to do, as if clan customs were an instinct. He was continuously called Thornpelt, and somehow he recognized it as his name. _So this is what being in a clan feelings like, _Thorn thought, _I like the feeling.

_One of the cats turned to him, but her appearance was rather fuzzy in the dream. She jabbed him with a paw. "I'm thinking you forgot your little mission?" She asked waving her tail knowingly. _

"_My mission," Thorn recalled, "I forgot about my quest!"_

"_Wake up," The cat ordered, "You need to remember what you wanted, your destiny lies with the clans."_

…

Thorn blinked open his eyes, slowly and drowsily reminding himself of his dream. _I have to join a clan; I think it's my destiny. _

"Echo," He addressed softly. The she-cat shuffled and opened her bright eyes. She stretched her jaws in a yawn, and through groggy eyes gave her mate a questioning glance. "What?"

"I have something to tell you," Thorn said. "It's something I need your support with."

"Anything…" Echo yawned again. "What is it?"

Thorn sat up on his haunches. "Have you ever heard of the clans?" He asked, "The cats that live in groups at the lake?"

Echo shrugged. "I think so, maybe" She sounded uncertain. "What about them?"

"I wanted to join them," Thorn looked serious. "I think it's my destiny."

"Why?" Echo mewed. "Are you not happy as a loner?"

"It's not that," Thorn looked for a new way to say it. "I just feel it's what I need to do. It's actually a really great lifestyle."

"Oh," Echo looked uncertain. "If you say so, I'll go with it."

"We will ask to join tonight."

**A/N: Yeah, Sorry, I know this chapter was all mushy. Sorry if I disturbed anyone, I'm terrible at romance. Anyway, I didn't update last weekend because I was doing a warriors generator, and I'll continue it! Now to answer the most recent reviews, here they are:**

**Birdflame: OHH! I honestly had no idea the words rough and rogue was different. Thanks for telling me, ha.**

**Scourge728: Thanks for the support! :)**

**That's all!**

**~Lissa**


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello! I'm moving the review answering thing to the top and my randomness to the bottom. Again, thank you all for the support in the reviews, they all make me feel like something :), and without them I'd pretty much be nothing XD.**

**Happyascanbe83: I'm sorry, I am unaware of your age, but perhaps use spellcheck of some sort before you post a review? I honestly had no idea what you were trying to say, lol**

**Whisper: That is one of the most nicest comments ever friend :D thank youuuu. If you want writing tips, just PM me a story and I'll see what you can do. Just mention yourself!**

**Slimcloud: Thanks, and, sorry about Ash. Ash will have a big part later on in the story. I've had this whole story planned out a long time ago, I'm just finally actually doing it!**

**Scourge728: It's nothing, I respond to almost every review I get, as a gratitude for the… umm… would niceness by the right word? I don't know… just nevermind.**

**Birdflame: Tell me if you get any better at romance xD I need to go to love school.**

**Jaggedwing: Ikr, updating is the bomb, hah. They will be in a clan, you'll just have to wait and see…**

**This next chapter**

**Yay**

**I like cake**

**Forget it, I'll just write now**

"Thorn? Thorn?"

Thorn raised his head and turned to the voice calling his name. Giving a sigh of exasperation, he got to his paws and shook out his grass-covered pelt. "Yes, Echo?"

The pearly white she-cat blinked at him with worry. "It's almost nighttime," She mewed nervously. "And I still don't think we should try to join a clan!"

Thorn let his eyes roll secretly, head turned away. All day his mate had been pestering him not to join a foreign group, and he didn't understand how that would not be the coolest thing in the world to her, as it was to him. He refused to give into her, no matter how many kitten eyes she made, because this was destiny, he just knew it.

"Echo, we'll be fine," Thorn persisted. "This life is cool, it's unique, and I promise you it'll be brilliant!"

"If you say so…" Echo said shyly.

"I swear," Thorn grinned, whiskers twitching. "So come on, let's go."

"Okay," Echo murmured silently. "I guess." And she got to her paws too.

Thorn gave a nod and tilted his head to the direction of the lake. Echo fluffed out her fur and stepped in beside Thorn, and they began to pad off. _I think I'll visit this Windclan, they were the clan I came across the earliest._

Thorn padded swiftly toward the moor, Echo at his side. When he grew close to the border, he could smell the strong scents of the boundaries. He began to slow down, making his way into the territory.

"Okay, Echo," He mumbled. "We're inside the Windclan territory. We will ask the next cats we see about joining."

Echo didn't respond, she just kept moving slowly, apprehensively. Thorn felt a gentle new-leaf breeze blow against his thin fur, and with it came scents just like the boundary's. He stopped, hearing voices, and recognized one of them quite well.

"I smell a rogue again," The voice said.

"What _is _with all these loners on our territory, Brightshadow?" Another voice asked.

Echo started to cower behind her mate, staring at the wild clan cats, fear in her usually kind eyes. Thorn stepped up, and the cats stopped and stared. "What are you doing here, rogue?" One spat at them. Echo ducked behind further, but Thorn only dipped his head with respect. "I- _we_ have a question." He meowed. The cat known as Brightshadow stepped up to Thorn, staring deep into his green eyes.

"I remember you," Brightshadow rumbled with amusement. "You're that rogue I caught on our territory few moons ago," He chuckled. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Thorn ignored him, just nodding. "I wanted to request that I join Windclan with you, my mate Echo and I wanted a new culture, and yours seemed most interesting…"

He was abruptly stopped by a laughter breaking from one cat. Brightshadow glared at the laughing tom, and the tom stopped. "Sorry," He mumbled.

Brightshadow nodded. "This will have to be in the consideration of Dawnstar. Would you like me to take you to her?"

Thorn felt Echo shaking her head in his fur, but he agreed anyway. Brightshadow flicked his tail, grinning. "Follow us then."

Thorn nodded quickly and the patrol turned, whispering amongst themselves. Echo padded side by side with Thorn, who was trotting to catch up with the Windclan cats. They all ambled through the dewy grass, climbing up the moor to where the camp was supposed to be located, sun beaming down on their backs.

Echo was trembling, which only built up Thorn's nerves as they grew closer. He hoped that her shaking would mask his own anxiety, because these cats could easy kill them both off in only a matter heartbeats, if it were needed. The first thing Thorn noticed when they saw the camp was the lack of dens. With the three small dens out there, where in the land did these cats sleep?

Curiosity took over Thorn. "Where are all your dens?" He asked, hardly regretting his question. Brightshadow didn't move, only chuckled softly. "Foolish rogue, Windclan sleeps under the stars."

Thorn let his head tilt, though nobody could see it but Echo. "What if it rains? Or snows?"

Brightshadow's shoulders shrugged. "I guess we just sleep in the abandoned badger den, its large enough to hold us all…"

Echo coughed, then shook her head with displeasure. Thorn couldn't help but agree with her; sleeping in the open didn't seem too pleasurable, but the thought that this was destiny overcame him. Together they entered into the exposed camp, and Thorn instantly noticed a certain cat.

Everything about the cat made her look strong, and powerful. The way she stood with authority, the confident gaze she held, and the fact that many cats seemed to show much respect; it all told him one word: Leader.

"Greetings, Dawnstar," Brightshadow addressed, and the tortoiseshell leader turned to stare at Thorn. Her deep amber gaze seemed to be pulling him apart, judging him, ruling over him. "Who is this?" She asked in a calm, low voice, her gaze averting to her deputy. Brightshadow shot a glance at Thorn, then back at Dawnstar. "This is…"

"Thorn," He interrupted, trying to hide the edge of annoyance in his voice. Brightshadow nodded. "This is Thorn, he claims he wants to join Windclan with us."

Dawnstar leapt gracefully off of the rock, her thick fur hardly even maintaining a ruffle. It seemed not even the wind wanted to mess with this cat, and all Thorn thought to do was bow. Quickly Echo bowed too, her head lowed and eyes staring at the ground. The leader cat let out a choosing murmur, then shook her head.

"I'm afraid I don't want these cats in our clan," Dawnstar decided. "They don't fit; I can tell by the way they stand."

Thorn's heart dropped. For some reason, he thought it was almost impossible he'd be turned down. He never considered the fact that he wasn't quick and lean like the rest of the cats, and he didn't know he'd have to leave. "I guess we'll be going then."

…

Next would be Riverclan, or whatever it was called. Echo had barely talked since the second he entered Windclan territory, and she still remained silently pressed against her mate. Thorn entered into the Riverclan territory, which smelled strongly of fish. Opposite of the disgusting scent, the soothing sound of flowing water was present, calming and steady, something Thorn could definitely get used to.

It didn't take long for a group of fishing cats to look up and notice his presence, and they instantly drew back their lips in a snarl. "What do _you _want?" One, a brown tom with spiky looking fur demanded in an impatient grumble. His hazel eyes burned into Thorn, and he was suddenly afraid of the Windclan situation happening all over again.

"Quiet, Twigthorn." Another ginger cat chided. "I apologize for his behavior. I am Flamefoot, and I'd like to know why you're here."

The brown tom, Twigthorn, glowered at Flamefoot, but said nothing more, simply moving his stare from the ginger warrior to Thorn. Thorn silently cleared his throat, raising a paw before he began speaking. When he felt ready, he began. "I am Thorn, and this is my mate; Echo," He introduced, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt. "We are looking to join your clan."

A she-cat with glossy gray fur stepped up. "Can you swim?" She asked them, and Thorn was almost surprised to find her serious.

"Um, no, I can't… Who can?" Thorn queried, confused.

The she-cat's gaze hardened. "Do you know how to fish?" She demanded, growing doubtful.

"No…" Thorn replied awkwardly. Flamefoot shook his head. "Then, I'm sorry, but you can't join us if you don't know these things."

"Oh," Thorn sighed. "Okay."

Twigthorn grunted with satisfaction. "Should we give them an export?"

The she-cat shrugged. "They're fine; they don't even know how to fish, do they?"

Thorn dipped his head. "We'll be going now."

…

The next clan was in pines. Thorn recalled the name Shadowclan the last time he was there, and he ran into yet another patrol. This time the cats were a lot less welcoming, bristling and hissing angrily. "Umm we wanted to know if-"

"Scram, idiot rogue!" A black tom growled, and the group unsheathed their claws. Echo dashed away, and Thorn had no choice but to follow. Shadowclan seemed terrible, heck, they didn't even allow a word to be uttered. _How incredibly rude! _Thorn thought, furious. _I didn't do anything!_

"Idiot Shadowclan!" He spat behind him smugly, knowing he was too far ahead for them to catch up. He had gotten the last words. Thorn and Echo didn't stop running until they were well out of the territory, and were now blindly running to the last clan; Thunderclan. Thorn recognized this clan as the kindest to rogues and loners, but he didn't want to be just another recruit, so he waited until last.

To their fortune, there was a border patrol remarking the boundaries, and Thorn trotted up to the group of Thunderclan cats, Echo tagging along behind him. "Hello," He meowed, getting the attention of the broad cats. A young cat, probably one of those apprentices, hissed at them. "Go away."

"Riverpaw, that is no way to treat a cat!" A gray she-cat scolded, then turning to the loners. "I am Dovestar, leader of Thunderclan. May I be of any assistance?"

"Yes, actually," Thorn answered, his tail swishing. "My mate, Echo and I want to join Thunderclan." He knew his statement was blunt, but he was tired of rejection, and refused to waste too much time talking.

"We would gladly accept your request," Dovestar smiled, but her gaze darkened. "But we are currently in a bit of trouble, lots of sick and hungry cats; we don't need more mouths to feed."

"We won't be trouble, I swear it," Thorn protested, though keeping his voice calm.

Dovestar shook her head. "I don't doubt you, and I would love to have you, but with the sickness spreading so fast you both can easily catch it, especially being that you aren't at all used to it."

"Oh," Thorn's head sank. Dovestar softened gradually. "I'm sorry, but you should get going."

Thorn nodded, jerking his head to Echo to signal that they would leave. Echo seemed almost glad, but Thorn couldn't have been more upset.

_Even if I can't join a clan, I _will _be in a clan. Just you wait, cats._

**A/N: Okay so, pretty rushed chapter, but at least I updated. Guess what? It's storytime!**

**So a few days ago my sister was playing with a wax candle, with a napkin, and it got caught on fire. **

**I grabbed the napkin from her and, panicking, I shook it wildly. The flames engulfed the napkin and I screamed. Then my dad ran over and slammed his hand on the flames, putting it out. **

**The end. **


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